EPA May Implement Anti-Science Legislation that Failed to Pass Congress

(Washington, D.C. – March 20, 2018) Environmental Defense Fund filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request today regarding plans by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to implement anti-science legislation that failed to pass Congress.

The legislation was drafted by House Science Committee Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith and is misleadingly called the Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment (HONEST) Act.

Pruitt told the Heritage Foundation last week of plans that would hobble the use of science at EPA by adopting elements of the stalled bill. EDF is seeking documents that outline the details of this new policy and its development.

“Scott Pruitt needs to tell the American public – not just his political allies at the Heritage Foundation – why he’s trying to undermine science at EPA. Administrator Pruitt’s plans would limit EPA’s ability to use strong science in ways that Congress has refused to endorse,” said EDF Senior Attorney Martha Roberts. “By limiting what studies can be used to help keep us safe, this reported policy would make it harder for EPA to protect American families from pollution, toxic chemicals, and other threats. The result would be more serious health impacts – from asthma to cancer – for communities across the country.”

You can read EDF’s FOIA request here.